This invention relates to nasal dilators. More specifically, to insertable nasal dilators. This invention also relates to breathing apparatus and accessories.
Many people routinely have difficulty breathing thru the nostrils, like while sleeping. Often this can lead to breathing thru the mouth. Breathing thru the mouth while sleeping can lead to snoring.
Snoring happens because, once asleep, our muscles go limp, including the nasal walls, the jaw, tongue, and throat. This can lead to the collapse of the nasal walls, breathing thru the mouth, and the tongue falling back in the throat. The `snore` sound is often the tongue or nose vibrating as one attempts to breathe.
Prior-art external nasal strips can expand the nasal passages for improved breathing. They have many disadvantages: They are expensive. Each strip is only good for one use. Strips can be uncomfortable to remove. Strips often leave adhesive residue on the nose after removal. Strips can be time-consuming to remove (especially if company is at the door). Strips excessively expand the nasal cavities. Strips can leave nose sore. Breathing problems, like snoring and sleep apnea, are often 365-day-a-year problems. The expense, skin irritation, and discomfort of adhesive nasal strips can discourage daily use.
Because the nasal trips are external, they must open up a large length of the nasal cavities, even though usually only a small portion of the nose normally collapses during breathing.
Prior art nasal inserts include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,543 by Lugi Corsaro, granted Mar. 17, 1998 entitled NASAL BREATHING DEVICE; U.S. Pat. No. 1,255,578 by George Boxley, granted Feb. 5, 1918 entitled NASAL APPLIANCE; U.S. Pat. No. 1,481,581 by H. R. Woodward, granted Jan. 22, 1924, entitled NOSTRIL EXPANDER; U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,944 by Bjorn Petruson, granted Jan. 2, 1996 entitled NASAL DEVICES; U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,977 by Saeed Rezakhany, granted Nov. 15, 1983 entitled NASAL DILATOR; U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,217 by Robert L. Slater, granted May 6, 1980 entitled NOSTRIL EXPANDER; U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,365 by Leo Askinazy, granted Jul. 26, 1988 entitled SPRING COIL WIRE DEVICE; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,799 by Carlos Ramos Caballero, granted Jan. 16, 1973 entitled NOSE DILATOR. To stay in the nose, all the above inventions depend on tension to the lateral nasal walls, the septum, the floor of the sills, and/or the `lips` of the external nares (external openings into the nose). The lateral walls slope down and outwards, promoting a device to slip out. The `lips` of the external nares are slight and vary tremendously in size and shape from person to person. The `lips` provide inadequate support. Most of the above inventions also greatly distort the shape of the nostrils and have a displeasing appearance when worn.
Breathe Relief.TM., item #41600 as distributed by HealthHouse USA Inc., P.O. Box 9034 Jericho, N.Y. 11753, has a pair of bulbs that fit into the hollow crevices of the nose-tip. These bulbs lift the lateral nasal walls by supporting against the sensitive septum. Breathe Relief relies on ineffective friction to try and keep it from slipping out of the nose-tip. The device can easily fall down/out of place, actually obstructing the airway.
Corsaro's device engages a longer and deeper portion of the septum than Breathe Relief.TM.. It engages the septum, post of the columella, lateral walls, and (though not disclosed) the sill floor in the same manner as Boxley. That is, Corsaro's bridge 20; stop member 28; and first, second, and third members (42,44, and 46) match to Boxley's 1,2,3,10 and 9 respectively. Corsaro engages the uppermost portion of the columella [verifiable by noting his first wires and bridge position above second wires, and 44 positions left in all drawings].
Corsaro shows septal engagement in his FIGS. 5 and 6, even though the distance between first wires is too wide (.apprxeq.6.5 mm base, 9.5 mm top) to contact the thin (.apprxeq.2 mm) septum. True septal contact would require substantial wire flexibility not provided by the specified 1 mm stainless wire. Also, though not disclosed, Corsaro's third wire members are positioned to brace against the floor of the sills (same as Woodward's 1b; Petruson's "convexly curved edge"; and Boxley's 9). Sill and septal engagement can be uncomfortable.
CPAP and oxygen delivery are often provided thru nasal tubing. Nasal tubing is supported in the nares by a variety of apparatus. One such method of support is U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,852 by Robert M. Landis, granted Dec. 26, 1995 entitled NASAL POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD. This method is complicated and inefficient. Another method is continuous tubing, with a pair of cannulae insertable into the nares. Cannulae are held in place by wrapping the tubing over the ears and securing it under the neck with a sliding tie. The cannulae may shift side-to-side in the nares, especially when sleeping. This shifting can cause internal scraping and irritation of the nasal walls.
Anatomy Terminology of the Nose
FIG. 2B depicts the inferior view of a human nose. The following terms, referred to throughout my text, may not be found in a dictionary:
columella (19): the external post, or column, of the septum feet of the columella*(15 and 16): the posterior protuberances of the columella PA1 limen nasi ridges (13 and 14)(and 13 in FIG. 2A): internal ridges of the lateral nasal walls (between the vestibule and atrium of each nare) PA1 external nares (24 and 25)(and 24 in FIG. 2A): the external openings to the nose PA1 floor of the sills (22 and 23) floor of the nares